Economy

Most Inland Empire residents aren’t pleased with their present living circumstances and say they are struggling to get by, a pair of recent reports published by UC Riverside have found. Only 41 percent of the people surveyed described themselves as “thriving, according to Building Common Ground Through Data: Insights On …

Inland Empire manufacturing continued to struggle in September. The region’s purchasing managers index was 47.3 up slightly from August but still below 50, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino. Should the October index land below 50, manufacturing in Riverside and San …

Two of the nation’s largest retail trade organizations are making lukewarm predictions regarding the upcoming holiday season and how much U.S. consumers are likely to spend, amid concerns about tariffs, inflation and a slowing job market. Shoppers will spend an average of $890.49 per person on Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza …

Pending home sales in Riverside rose 11.6 percent in September compared with one year earlier, the second-largest year-over-year increase of any major U.S metropolitan market during that time, according to a report. San Francisco (17.1 percent) recorded the highest number, while West Palm Beach, Fla. (11 percent) was third, Seattle-based …

Retail sales nationwide dipped slightly between August and September, mostly because of several months of back-to-school spending, according to the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales, not counting automobiles and gasoline, fell 0.6 percent month-over-month, the Washington, D.C.-based trade association reported. That number was seasonally adjusted. On a positive note, …

The Inland Empire industrial market held steady during third quarter, posting increases in absorption and lease rates and maintaining its second quarter vacancy rate, according to data released Oct. 8. The region absorbed three million square feet of industrial space during the third quarter, a “strong rebound” from the second …